Obama said he needs to break out of the "artificial" bubble that envelops the presidency, and avoid becoming a "Washington stiff."

So who knows? Maybe Honest Abe would have made his college tournament picks on ESPN, appeared with Ellen or Oprah, or gone on the Internet talk show parody Between Two Ferns with The Hangover star Zach Galifianakis.

Obama and aides said they are going on new media shows in an effort to reach people where they live -- "regular folks" -- particularly young people they need to sign up for health care coverage.

The appearance with Galifianakis in particular -- on the website "Funny or Die" -- drew the ire of Fox News host Bill O'Reilly and other conservatives.

While it would have been okay for an aide to go on Between Two Ferns, O'Reilly said -- "but the President of the United States?

"All I can tell you is Abe Lincoln would not have done it," O'Reilly said. "There comes a point when serious times call for serious action."